Management
Management is “the process of getting activities completed efficiently and effectively with and through other people,” and a manager is responsible for carrying out these activities for the betterment of a business or organization. Every company sets goals and objectives, and people in management are responsible for ensuring that organizational processes are in place to achieve them. For this reason, managers are needed in every business: they plan, implement, delegate, research, evaluate, and organize the people, resources, and products that comprise an organization. Managers work in offices, hotels, restaurants, warehouses, corporations, schools, construction sites, hospitals, and more.
Skills: People who excel at management are natural leaders – they know how to supervise other people and are capable of planning and organizing complex tasks or procedures. They are good problem solvers and decision makers, and can lead while also being good team players. Managers also possess excellent communication and computer skills. Successfully coordinating and directing staff is paramount to a career in management.
A degree in business management teaches individuals these skills and more. Because managers have to be knowledgeable not only about business administration but also about how to work with a wide spectrum of employees, students take classes pertaining to both these aspects of management. Classes often include:
- Managerial Psychology
- Operations Management
- People and Organizations
- Information Systems
- Managerial Law
- Economics
- Probability and Statistics
- Building and Leading Effective Teams
- Research Methods
- Financial Accounting
- Power and Negotiation
- Marketing Management
- Practical Leadership
Careers: People with a degree in management can expect to find jobs in any number of businesses because a manager is needed at every organization. If you are looking to apply your managerial skills to a related field but not in a management role, you can work as a consultant, executive, analyst, specialist, broker, director, or officer. If you are looking for a career in management, you can expect to find positions in retail sales, training, promotions, restaurant/food services, operations, personnel, service, training, recreation, and international business, among others.
Salary: The higher your degree, the more highly paid you are likely to be, because your position will involve more responsibility and be more complex and multifaceted. There is also a significant difference in pay between industries. For example, in 2008, a food service manager earned an average of $46,320, and a real estate/property manager $46,130. In contrast, construction managers made an average of $79,860, and engineering managers $115,270. Employment is projected to remain equal to or grow faster than other jobs in the next decade.
Article Resources:
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The University of North Carolina, Wilmington
The University of Toronto
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: "Food Service Managers"
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: "Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Managers"
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: "Engineering and Natural Sciences Managers"
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: "Construction Managers"